Fastening for ear-jewels



(No Model.) I

' G. W. WASHBURN.

FASTENING FQR EAR JEWELS. No. 248,240. Patented OQt. 11,1881.

vqteat: I Inventor:

27% gevryewmfa'z Zu 7 -72,

@M wag N4 PETERS FlloXo-Lilhugmphnn Wnshinglun. DV (2.

I UNITED. STATES PATENT rrrea.

GEORGE W. VVASHBURN, OF WEST NEW BRIGHTON, NEW YORK.

FASTENING FOR EAR-JEWELS.

SPECIFHJA'JEION forming part of- Letters Patent No. 248,240, dated October 11, 1881.

Application filed August 4,1881. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern 7 Be itknown thatl, GEORGE W. WAsHBURN, a citizen of the United States, residing at West New Brighton, in the county of Richmond and State of New York, have invented new and useful Improvements in Fastenings for Ear- Jewels, of which the following isa'specification.

This invention is additional to my improvement in fastenings for ear-jewels patented May 10, 1881, by Letters Patent No. 241,462. g

In my previous specification, forming part of said Letters Patent N 0. 241,462, I described a fastening. exclusively applicable to locking ear-jewels in the pierced lobes ofladies ears, so as to secure the same againstbeing accidentally or surreptitiously detached, and having, as an essential feature, an ear-wireprovided with a notched point to engage within a trumpetmouth with a spring-projected locking-bolt, which is inclosed and guided by a curved tube, the latter being united at its lower end with the lower end of the ear-wire by a'hinge-joint, against the middle part of which the spring of thelocking-boltabuts, This'constitutesaneat, inconspicuous, and highly-efficient fastening; but the thickness of the ear-wire demanded by said notch and the presence of the latter prevent its adoption by many who have pierced ears, while many others, from necessity or choice, do not have their ears pierced.

The presentinvention consistsin a novel combination and arrangement of parts, whereby jewels may be attached on the same general principle to themost sensitive ears having very small holes therein, or to unpierced ear-lobes, in an approved way; and, further, in a novel combination and arrangement of parts in fast enings for attaching jewels to pierced lobes, and in a certain feature of construction in this species of the improved fastening, whereby respectively the trumpet-mouth is utilized as an abutment for the spring of the locking-bolt, and the insertion of the lobepoint of the earwire is facilitated, and the employment of a small trumpet-mouth of ornate appearance is provided for.

Figure 1 of the accompanying drawings is a side view of my improved fastening adapted for pierced ears. Fig. 2 is a back View thereof,

- appearance.

and Fig. 3 a section on the line33, Fig. 2, the fastening being shown closed in these figures. Fig. 4 is a side view, and Fig. 5 a section similar to Fig. 3, showing the same open; and Fig. 6 is a face view ofits principal parts separated. Figs. 7 ends are, respectively,a frontview and a side view of my improved fastening adapted for unpierced eais, showing it closed.

Likeletters of reference indicate corresponding and substitute parts in all the figures.

My improved fastening in either of its forms is composed of two main parts, a b, united by a hinge-joint, c, the part a being solid and the part b hollow, the latter being in the form of a curved tube, while the adjoining end of the part a is corresymndingly curved, so that together they snugly embrace the lower edge of the lobe of the ear and present a symmetrical A spiral spring, at, and a locking-bolt, e, projected by said spring, are located H within the tube b, the bolt being constructed with a thin end.f, to engage with acatch-notch, g, and provi led on its back with a retractingprojection, 'i, accommodated by alongitudinal slot, j, in the tube, a matching projection, k,being soldered on the back of the tube; and the said hinge-joint is constructed with a threepart knuckle, the middle part of which is soldered to or formed on the part a and serves to close the lo \ver end of the tube 1). In all these particulars the present fastening in either of its forms has parts similar to those of my patented fastening aforesaid, as indicated by correspondingletters of reference in the drawings of the latter.

My present fastening, as distinguished from my said patented fastening and from others, is constructed with the spring dabove the bolt 6, and abutting against the closed upper end of the tube. The catch endfpf the boltis at its lower end and the catch-notch g is cut in the said middle part of thejoint c, which is made of proper size to receive it, a square notch of ample size being thus accommodated, while' the lobe-pinmay be made very thin, (and the weight of the fastening as a whole materially reduced,) or the lobe-pin may be wholly omitted, thus forming a fastening by means of which a jewel may be securely attached to the most delicate and sensitive earlobe, and without penetrating it, if need be. The locations of the projection iand slotj and the projection 70 also are reversed, as compared with those of the corresponding parts of the patented fastening, this being incident to the aforesaid change ot'construction and operation.

In the form illustrated by Fig. 1, ct scq., a trumpet-mouth,z,is attachedto the upper end of the tube 1), to receive the end of the thin lobe-point y, with which the part a terminates in said form, the said part a being so constructed and attached, as shown, as to close the upper end of the tube to form an abutment for the spring (I, and both said parts 2 and y are curved correspondingly with the latters line of motion, so as to facilitate inserting and withdrawing thelobe-point, while this gives the trumpet-mouth and the fastening as a whole a more ornate appearance.

In the form for unpierced ears (illustrated by Figs. 7 and 8) the part a is provided at its upper end with a rearwardly-projecting knob, to, and the part b has in front, at its upper end, a ring, o, adapted to be pressed against the back of the ear-lobe, so that the latter will be pressed into said ring by said knob 10 when the fastening is closed, thus affording a secure attachment without pinching the car. In the example the ring 7. is circular, and is formed of round wire, being attached to the part b by a bowed crossbar, as shown, and so located as to he concentric with the knob to, which is substantially hemispherical in shape, and the part a extends above the knob 10 and terminates in a finger-nail catch, to facilitate opening the unlocked fastening.

The ring may instead be formed by the smooth-finished edge of a cup-shaped disk of sheet metal, having its back attached directly to the part b or a, and the knob may be at the upper extremity of the part a or b.

The projections i k, Fig. 8, represent my improved locking-catch.

The part a may be provided with an open ring for connecting a set diamond or the like thereto asa pendant, or the jewel may be attached to the improved fastening of either form in any approved way.

Any suitable metals may be used in constructingtheparts, and details of shape and the like may be varied to suit difierent manufacturers without departing from my invention.

What I claim herein is- 1. A fastening for ear-jewels, comprising parts a b, united bya hinge-joint, c,'which has a movable middle part carried by the part a said middle part of the joint being provided with a catch-notch, and said part 1) constructcd in the form of a curved tube and provided within with a locking-bolt engaging with said catch-notch, and with a spring for projecting said bolt, substantially as herein specified, for the purposes set forth. v

2. The combination, in a fastening for earjewels, of the ear-wire a y, the slotted curved tube b, the hinge-joint 0, having a notched middle part'carried by said part a, the bolt 0, adapted to interlock with said middle part of the joint, the projecting spring d, arranged within the upper part ofsaid tube, the retracting-projections i k, and the trumpet-mouth 2, receiving the point ofthe ear-wire and forming an abutment for the spring, as specified.

3. In a fastening for ear-jewels adapted for pierced lobes, the combination of main parts a I), provided at their upper ends, respectively, with a lobe-point, y, and a trumpet-mouth, z, to receive said lobe-point, and ahingejoint, c, with horizontal pintle uniting said parts a I),

said parts a I) being curved to snugly embrace a the lower edge ot' an ear-lobe, and said parts y a curved in the line of motion, substantially as shown, for the purposes set forth.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

GEO. \V. WASHBURN.

Witnesses Isaac P. HUBBARD, CHARLES BENNER. 

